1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a shelf-like platform or receptacle that is attachable by means of a crank shaped bolt that is threaded directly into the trunk of a tree. The crank shaped bolt support preferably is an integral piece with a tapering threaded lag bolt, a crank arm and a non-round shelf-mounting part. The shelf-mounting part engages in a complementary opening in the shelf or similar supporting platform, thus holding the shelf or platform in a desired orientation, normally horizontal.
2. Prior Art
A wide variety of tree stands for hunters are known, all generally comprising some sort of platform that can be placed at a height above the ground, and on which a hunter can stand or sit while waiting for passing game. Game animals such as deer are alert to threats at ground level. The instincts of such prey animals may cause them to expend all their attention at ground level, where they might expect to encounter natural predators such as wolves or puma. The animals may neglect to look for threats at a higher elevation, and can fail to notice a hunter in plain view because the hunter is on a tree stand at an elevation above the ground. Hunters also prefer a high vantage point, above brush that might obscure his or her view of deer or other approaching game.
Various forms of tree stands are used, but all address similar needs. The tree stand should be securely attachable to a tree, but preferably is only temporary at a given location. For safety, a tree stand should be secure and stable when mounted, especially because firearms may be used and could inadvertently discharge if jarred or dropped. A larger platform is generally more safe and comfortable than a smaller one.
The object of the tree stand is to provide an elevated support, normally well above the height of the hunter. The stand may include mechanical fixtures for lifting and climbing, and may have depending flanges or toothed or spurred structures that bear against and/or dig into the trunk of the tree, either at the elevation selected for hunting or at a point from which the hunter pushes off when climbing with the stand. Trunk encircling belts, chains, curving abutment bars and other trunk parts may be included and may be disposed at different elevations relative to the supporting platform.
To suit the foregoing needs, it might arguably be advantageous for a tree stand to have a large platform area, to be made of strong materials, to be outfitted with various accoutrements and mechanical assists for climbing and affixation to the tree at a selected elevation, and to have appointments for comfort such as seat padding, a backrest, other chair structure or similar means for the hunter's comfort and convenience. In practice, however, the durability, size and complexity of the tree stand are kept to a minimum. Aspects that contribute strength, convenience, additional function or comfort, also contribute size and weight. The tree stand normally is carried to the hunting area by the hunter, often a substantial distance and frequently through woods that may be difficult to traverse with heavy or bulky equipment. The stand must be readily lifted and/or maneuvered into place by manual action of the hunter. As noted above, the stand is preferably deployed well above the ground. As a result, the typical tree stand has a simple flat platform on which the hunter stands or sits. The stand has the minimum structure possible and is made as light and compact as possible. Tree stands also sometimes rely on the hunter's weight to hold the stand at a fixed elevation, the weight being applied by appropriately leveraged structures to cause a portion of the tree stand to bite into the tree.
Getting the tree stand into place at an elevated location, and also getting onto the tree stand together with all the equipment that will be necessary or desirable for hunting (or for simply waiting) may be a difficult proposition for the hunter. Depending on the type of tree stand, the hunter may be more or less challenged when attempting to affix the tree stand at the desired elevation, or when attempting to mount a tree stand that has been affixed by other means, or when attempting to remain on the tree stand platform when waiting for passing game.
Tree stands are known which form tree climbing aids that the hunter uses to climb to a desired hunting elevation. Such a stand, for example, can have a relatively lower horizontal platform on which the hunter is to stand or sit while hunting, and a frictional bar that engages the opposite side of the trunk from the platform, at a higher position than the platform. The edge of the platform facing the tree trunk can be sharp or toothed so as to bite slightly into the tree bark. So long as the hunter's weight rests on the platform and the abutment engages the trunk on the opposite side from the platform and at the higher position, there is a resultant force on the platform to bear laterally inwardly and bite into the trunk. This fixes the elevation of the tree stand on the trunk.
This type of stand is most apt from tree trunks without low branches. Means are provided for the hunter to manipulate the stand while supporting his weight on the tree, apart from the stand. For this purpose the platform can be affixed to the hunter's feet via straps or similar receptacles. The hunter grasps or hugs the tree trunk to support his weight, as if to shinny up the trunk. The hunter flexes his legs and tilts the tree stand forward, disengaging the platform and the opposite higher abutment from the trunk, and lifting the stand incrementally upward. The hunter straightens his legs and the stand, and allows his weight to bear back against the platform. The opposite side abutment stops frictionally against the tree and the platform bites into the trunk on the near side, fixing the stand to the tree at the new higher elevation. The hunter continues climbing in this manner, or to descend the hunter reverses the process, proceeding in an inchworm fashion to ascend or descend the tree trunk.
Obviously, the hunter would prefer to climb the tree only once in this manner, and to come down only when ready to leave. The inching technique is time consuming, laborious and possibly noisy. If something is dropped after climbing to the desired elevation, the hunter cannot leave the stand in place, descend to recover the item and climb back up to the stand. The stand is needed for inchwise climbing or descending the tree in the absence of branches. The hunter's weight also may be needed to keep the stand engaged in fixed elevation rather than to slide down the trunk.
Tree stands also are known that are used by first climbing the tree without assistance, and carrying along the tree stand, for example in the form of a back pack as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,165--Latini; U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,503--Sink; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,276--Craig. Instead of carrying the stand, the hunter can tie a rope to the tree stand when on the ground, carry an end of the rope when climbing to the desired elevation, and then pull the stand up. This involves either climbing the tree with the encumbrance of the stand, or threading the stand through any branches that may foul it when drawing the stand up into position. One can only carry so much at a time when climbing. After climbing the tree and attaching the stand, the hunter may need to climb down again to retrieve further equipment to be carried up before the hunter can occupy the stand for hunting. This involves a lot of climbing up and down. The climbing can be a chore, because the optimal hunting location is rather high, for example twenty feet (6 meters) or so above the ground.
It is also known to mount a tree stand relatively permanently to a tree and to use it several times or for more than one hunting season. Inasmuch as the installation is for several uses, it is cost effective to provide a large and/or elaborate stand, and to go to some effort to mount it securely to the tree trunk. For example the stand may be customized to the diameter of the particular tree. It may be provided with accoutrements such as seats, railings, sheltering overhangs and the like, substantially resembling a tree house. The stand can be affixed on a custom base configured for a crotch or branch in the trunk, and/or bolted or nailed directly to the tree trunk and left there permanently. A permanently mounted stand has benefits such as size and optionally convenient fixtures, but is inconvenient to build and cannot readily be moved from one location to another. The hunter might visit long before hunting to bring building materials to the site, tools, a ladder and other construction equipment. Several trips may be needed.
In a permanent installation the hunter can also install climbing aids, such as protruding steps or rungs comprising cross members attached by nails or bolts that are driven or threaded into the tree trunk. In an even more permanent arrangement, staggered steps can be attached on opposite sides of the trunk to protrude radially, similar to the steps on utility poles used by telephone and power company linemen. Examples of such steps are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,061--Meyer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,388--Laughlin et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,353--Browning et al.
All these relatively permanent installations and their options and conveniences can involve a considerable investment of work and money. The resulting structure, which is unattended in the woods, may not be exclusive to its builder and may attract other hunters whose presence tends to discourage game. What is needed is a way to adapt the temporary, lightweight and compact form of tree stand so that the hunter need not ascend and descend repeatedly. The major reason to descend prematurely (i.e., before bagging game) is to recover an article that has been left behind or dropped on the ground.
Depending on the type of tree stand used, it may be more or less inconvenient to descend and ascend repeatedly, but it is always undesirable. It is very frustrating to inadvertently drop some needed piece of equipment when on the tree stand and also likely to adversely affect the chances for hunting. The hunter must descend, possibly root around in the brush to recover the item, ascend again carrying the item and re-situate himself, if possible without dropping the article again. Descending and ascending causes noise and motion and disperses the hunter's scent, including at ground level, which can scare off game that the hunter might never even see.
A hunter may have cause to carry many loose articles that might be dropped, such as his weapon (e.g., bow or firearm), ammunition, food or drink containers, a coat, hat and/or gloves that the hunter may wish to take off due to warming temperatures as the day progresses, etc. In moving around on the tree stand (especially of the small platform type), it is very easy to inadvertently push an article from the platform to fall on the ground. Insofar as this problem has been addressed in the prior art, it is done by providing fixtures that are part of the tree stand or are attached to the tree stand, such as hooks, each of which is intended to hold a particular type of article. The hunter can use such a hook to engage a shoulder strap of a firearm, the bowstring of a bow, the strap of a quiver or other device having a strap. An example of a holder for a bow is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,276--Craig. Other items may also be affixable to a given hook or special purpose receptacle, depending on the size and nature of the item and the hook, such as binoculars via a neck strap, a coat via a collar loop and so forth. Hooks and holders are generally configured with a particular purpose in mind and may not be suitable to hold items that were not designed to be suspended from a hook, or from a hook of the particular size used, or from a holder that was configured to hold some other type of item. This type of holder is not broadly applicable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,508--Hughes et al. discloses a relatively complex staked-down A-frame ladder that carries an elevated web seat between opposite rungs. Creel-like "supply bags" are permanently affixed to the webbing along each side. Such bags are generally useful to hold items, this is only true for items that are smaller than the bags and only while room in the bags remains. The bags are not general purpose storage devices.
A general purpose storage device for supplementing a tree stand could be provided in the form of a shelf, which term accurately characterizes the main platform of most tree stands. A tree stand platform that resembles a simple shelf is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,081--Wade. A shelf for a cylindrical pole or tree, that resembles a tree stand in that a platform is cantilevered from a girth strap and has spaced downwardly extending bracket supports, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,096--Lamprey. Supports of this type are almost invariably supported by two laterally spaced brackets, each having a part that extends downwardly along the tree or other vertical surface to support the cantilevered platform against sagging downwardly.
A tree stand arrangement for one hunter can comprise more than one platform forming element. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,500--Bass there are two platform elements that are independently mounted on the tree trunk. A lower platform provides a foot rest. An upper platform provides a chair in which the hunter sits, in this case facing the tree trunk. Having plural platform elements obviously complicates all problems associated with transporting the tree stand to its intended location; mounting the stand to the tree trunk; transporting associated equipment up to the stand, such as a firearm or a bow, ammunition, food and water, rain gear, etc.; stowing such items in sufficient proximity to reach them from the stand; and occupying the tree stand reasonably comfortably to wait for game, without dropping anything. Should the hunter drop any needed equipment after going through such preparatory steps, he must detach himself from the stand, climb down to retrieve the dropped item(s) and repeat at least some of these steps over again.
A horizontal surface is normally required to hold items temporarily for use, and can be provided in proximity to a place where a person sits or stands, for placing such items within the person's reach. U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,344--Beauchemin teaches a means to provide one or more horizontal supporting platforms for use with a tree stand. According to Beauchemin, all the elements associated with the tree stand, including the main platform for the hunter, are suspended by cords from a girth belt that is cinched onto the tree trunk using a belt length adjustment and a bale clasp. Spaced hooks engage over the belt and support flat platform elements that are suspended below the hooks by loops of cord depending from spaced hooks of the pair. Hooks are used in a similar manner to suspend one platform below another, namely with the hooks for the lower platform being attached to the cord of the upper one.
The Beauchemin shelves address the need for a storage area near the hunter in the tree stand, but the choices for such area are limited to unoccupied positions under the girth belt or under another similar shelf. Insofar as the platforms are suspended by flexible cords they are easily displaced if bumped and can swing like pendulums, dropping items resting on the shelf. These supports are wholly inapt for temporary placement of parts that can roll.
The Beauchemin platform that supports the hunter is likewise suspended from spaced hooks. The point of attachment at the hooks is closer to the tree trunk than the center of gravity of the shelf. Thus the hunter's platform is cantilevered outward from the trunk, as are all of the shelves that are suspended directly from the girth belt or from another point closer to the tree trunk than the center of gravity of that shelf. Each cord is a U-shaped length, the ends of which are knotted at the hook. If the platform is to be horizontal as needed to support a load, the cantilevering is such that a relatively shorter vertical length of the U-shape extends from the hook to an edge of the platform adjacent to the trunk, and a relatively longer diagonal length extends from the hook to the edge of the platform that is spaced from the trunk. These two lengths of cord are continuous with a length of cord that runs under the platform from the near edge to the far edge. The result of this cantilevered arrangement is that a weight on the platform urges the platform to sag, i.e., to become inclined downwardly and outwardly. Beauchemin attempts to address this problem by running the cord through a number of spaced slots along the edges of the platform or shelf to keep the platform horizontal when loaded, but the slots are not fully effective. An excess length of cord can be left at the bottom of the U-shape (for adjusting the vertical spacing between the hooks and their platform or for suspending shelves from one another in ranks). It is necessary to adjust the cord to place the platform at the correct spot along the cord to hold the platform horizontal as it is installed. Attention and setup are necessary, and even after setting up the arrangement, variations in loading, movement of the hunter and other occurrences may cause the arrangement to creak audibly, the platforms can become tilted relative to horizontal, and swinging of the suspended shelves can drop the supported items, whereupon the hunter must descend, retrieve the items, ascend and re-stow the gear and himself.
It would be advantageous if a compact platform arrangement could be provided for the convenience of a hunter using a tree stand, in which the platform can be installed easily, without numerous hooks or other fasteners, and preferably via a single easily-installed fastener. Although supported at as little as a thin lateral position across its width, the platform should remain stable and horizontal over a range of loading conditions, for example when the weight on the support is not centered. Preferably the platform can be placed anywhere that storage is most conveniently required. According to an aspect of the present invention, such a platform is provided by means of a shelf that is non-rotatably attached to a lag bolt having spaced right angles between a threaded end and a protruding end that are parallel, spaced and oppositely oriented portions of an integral metal part. Step members that are threaded or driven into tree trunks, telephone poles and the like are known, for example for use by electric power and telephone linemen to scale wooden utility poles. Typically such step members are straight lengths that are driven or threaded into the wooden pole and protrude perpendicular to the pole axis by a distance at least equal to the width of a climber's foot. Examples of steps that have an associated right angle, however, are also known. An example of such a step carried on a girth belt is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,761--Matlock. Examples in which a right angle member is mounted to a tree or pole via a conventional lag bolt are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,061--Meyer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,388 --Laughlin et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,353--Browning et al. These devices are useful as steps but are not structured or embodied for supporting a shelf, particularly because the foot supporting portion is rotatable relative to the lag bolt. This arrangement is not useful to support a shelf, because rotation would allow the shelf to rotate and dump any load that was not balanced along the axis of the lag bolt.